Egalitarian Democracy Index in Belgium
Belgium: Egalitarian Democracy Index was 0.821 in 2025. ▲ Rising
Latest (2025)
0.821
Change on year
down 0.4%
World rank
3rd
of 175 countries
All-time high
0.841
in 2010
All-time low
0.191
in 1915
Years of data
126
1900–2025
Egalitarian Democracy Index in Belgium, 1900–2025
Source: V-Dem (2026) – processed by Our World in Data.
Analysis
The most recent figure for egalitarian democracy index in Belgium is 0.821, measured in 2025.
The figure is down 0.4% on the previous year and down 1.7% over ten years.
Over the whole period, egalitarian democracy index in Belgium peaked at 0.841 in 2010 and was at its lowest, 0.191, in 1915.
That places Belgium 3rd out of 175 countries with data for 2025, putting it in the top 10%.
The long-run direction has been consistently rising across the 126 years of available data.
Egalitarian Democracy Index in Belgium, year by year
| Year | Value | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1900 | 0.352 | — |
| 1901 | 0.354 | +0.6% |
| 1902 | 0.355 | +0.3% |
| 1903 | 0.355 | +0.0% |
| 1904 | 0.353 | -0.6% |
| 1905 | 0.352 | -0.3% |
| 1906 | 0.354 | +0.6% |
| 1907 | 0.358 | +1.1% |
| 1908 | 0.358 | +0.0% |
| 1909 | 0.357 | -0.3% |
| 1910 | 0.358 | +0.3% |
| 1911 | 0.359 | +0.3% |
| 1912 | 0.359 | +0.0% |
| 1913 | 0.361 | +0.6% |
| 1914 | 0.251 | -30.5% |
| 1915 | 0.191 | -23.9% |
| 1916 | 0.191 | +0.0% |
| 1917 | 0.191 | +0.0% |
| 1918 | 0.202 | +5.8% |
| 1919 | 0.23 | +13.9% |
| 1920 | 0.29 | +26.1% |
| 1921 | 0.373 | +28.6% |
| 1922 | 0.386 | +3.5% |
| 1923 | 0.386 | +0.0% |
| 1924 | 0.386 | +0.0% |
| 1925 | 0.384 | -0.5% |
| 1926 | 0.383 | -0.3% |
| 1927 | 0.383 | +0.0% |
| 1928 | 0.383 | +0.0% |
| 1929 | 0.383 | +0.0% |
| 1930 | 0.382 | -0.3% |
| 1931 | 0.382 | +0.0% |
| 1932 | 0.382 | +0.0% |
| 1933 | 0.381 | -0.3% |
| 1934 | 0.381 | +0.0% |
| 1935 | 0.381 | +0.0% |
| 1936 | 0.38 | -0.3% |
| 1937 | 0.383 | +0.8% |
| 1938 | 0.383 | +0.0% |
| 1939 | 0.382 | -0.3% |
| 1940 | 0.234 | -38.7% |
| 1941 | 0.193 | -17.5% |
| 1942 | 0.193 | +0.0% |
| 1943 | 0.193 | +0.0% |
| 1944 | 0.197 | +2.1% |
| 1945 | 0.25 | +26.9% |
| 1946 | 0.408 | +63.2% |
| 1947 | 0.426 | +4.4% |
| 1948 | 0.43 | +0.9% |
| 1949 | 0.571 | +32.8% |
| 1950 | 0.623 | +9.1% |
| 1951 | 0.627 | +0.6% |
| 1952 | 0.627 | +0.0% |
| 1953 | 0.627 | +0.0% |
| 1954 | 0.633 | +1.0% |
| 1955 | 0.635 | +0.3% |
| 1956 | 0.635 | +0.0% |
| 1957 | 0.635 | +0.0% |
| 1958 | 0.637 | +0.3% |
| 1959 | 0.637 | +0.0% |
| 1960 | 0.736 | +15.5% |
| 1961 | 0.737 | +0.1% |
| 1962 | 0.744 | +0.9% |
| 1963 | 0.748 | +0.5% |
| 1964 | 0.748 | +0.0% |
| 1965 | 0.75 | +0.3% |
| 1966 | 0.752 | +0.3% |
| 1967 | 0.752 | +0.0% |
| 1968 | 0.749 | -0.4% |
| 1969 | 0.756 | +0.9% |
| 1970 | 0.77 | +1.9% |
| 1971 | 0.771 | +0.1% |
| 1972 | 0.777 | +0.8% |
| 1973 | 0.777 | +0.0% |
| 1974 | 0.772 | -0.6% |
| 1975 | 0.771 | -0.1% |
| 1976 | 0.775 | +0.5% |
| 1977 | 0.777 | +0.3% |
| 1978 | 0.777 | +0.0% |
| 1979 | 0.776 | -0.1% |
| 1980 | 0.797 | +2.7% |
| 1981 | 0.791 | -0.8% |
| 1982 | 0.794 | +0.4% |
| 1983 | 0.796 | +0.3% |
| 1984 | 0.796 | +0.0% |
| 1985 | 0.796 | +0.0% |
| 1986 | 0.794 | -0.3% |
| 1987 | 0.791 | -0.4% |
| 1988 | 0.788 | -0.4% |
| 1989 | 0.791 | +0.4% |
| 1990 | 0.804 | +1.6% |
| 1991 | 0.806 | +0.2% |
| 1992 | 0.819 | +1.6% |
| 1993 | 0.819 | +0.0% |
| 1994 | 0.819 | +0.0% |
| 1995 | 0.821 | +0.2% |
| 1996 | 0.822 | +0.1% |
| 1997 | 0.822 | +0.0% |
| 1998 | 0.822 | +0.0% |
| 1999 | 0.822 | +0.0% |
| 2000 | 0.824 | +0.2% |
| 2001 | 0.824 | +0.0% |
| 2002 | 0.824 | +0.0% |
| 2003 | 0.825 | +0.1% |
| 2004 | 0.803 | -2.7% |
| 2005 | 0.823 | +2.5% |
| 2006 | 0.822 | -0.1% |
| 2007 | 0.831 | +1.1% |
| 2008 | 0.84 | +1.1% |
| 2009 | 0.84 | +0.0% |
| 2010 | 0.841 | +0.1% |
| 2011 | 0.841 | +0.0% |
| 2012 | 0.841 | +0.0% |
| 2013 | 0.835 | -0.7% |
| 2014 | 0.835 | +0.0% |
| 2015 | 0.835 | +0.0% |
| 2016 | 0.835 | +0.0% |
| 2017 | 0.834 | -0.1% |
| 2018 | 0.833 | -0.1% |
| 2019 | 0.835 | +0.2% |
| 2020 | 0.828 | -0.8% |
| 2021 | 0.828 | +0.0% |
| 2022 | 0.828 | +0.0% |
| 2023 | 0.828 | +0.0% |
| 2024 | 0.824 | -0.5% |
| 2025 | 0.821 | -0.4% |
Belgium compared with similar countries
- Belgium's 0.821 is above the median for high income countries, which is 0.671, 1.2× the median. (55 countries reporting)
- Belgium's 0.821 is above the median for Europe & Central Asia, which is 0.608, 1.4× the median. (48 countries reporting)
Biggest year-on-year movements
Years where Egalitarian Democracy Index in Belgium changed far more than this series normally does. A large move can be a real event or a change in how the figure was measured — the source note below says who published it.
| Year | Change | From | To |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1946 | +63.2% | 0.25 | 0.408 |
| 1940 | -38.7% | 0.382 | 0.234 |
| 1949 | +32.8% | 0.43 | 0.571 |
| 1914 | -30.5% | 0.361 | 0.251 |
| 1921 | +28.6% | 0.29 | 0.373 |
| 1945 | +26.9% | 0.197 | 0.25 |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1900s | 0.3548 | 0.352 | 0.358 | 10 |
| 1910s | 0.2693 | 0.191 | 0.361 | 10 |
| 1920s | 0.3737 | 0.29 | 0.386 | 10 |
| 1930s | 0.3817 | 0.38 | 0.383 | 10 |
| 1940s | 0.3095 | 0.193 | 0.571 | 10 |
| 1950s | 0.6316 | 0.623 | 0.637 | 10 |
| 1960s | 0.7472 | 0.736 | 0.756 | 10 |
| 1970s | 0.7743 | 0.77 | 0.777 | 10 |
| 1980s | 0.7934 | 0.788 | 0.797 | 10 |
| 1990s | 0.8176 | 0.804 | 0.822 | 10 |
| 2000s | 0.8256 | 0.803 | 0.84 | 10 |
| 2010s | 0.8365 | 0.833 | 0.841 | 10 |
| 2020s | 0.8262 | 0.821 | 0.828 | 6 |
Countries ranked near Belgium
- 1 Denmark 0.876 compare
- 2 Norway 0.844 compare
- 4 Switzerland 0.82 compare
- 5 Estonia 0.81 compare
- 5 Luxembourg 0.81 compare
More social development data for Belgium
- Refugees under the mandate of the UNHCR by country or territory of 186,393 (2025)
- Refugees under the mandate of the UNHCR by country or territory of 113 (2025)
- Political Rights Rating 1 (2025)
- Electoral democracy 1 (2025)
- Political rights rating fh, annual growth rate 0 % change on previous year (2025)
- Political rights rating fh, gaps filled 1 (2025)
- Refugees under the mandate of the UNHCR by country or territory of 0 units per person (2025)
- Refugees under the mandate of the UNHCR by country or territory of 113 (2025)
- Refugees under the mandate of the UNHCR by country or territory of 0.0156 units per person (2025)
- Refugees under the mandate of the UNHCR by country or territory of 0 units per US$ of GDP (2025)
Frequently asked questions
- What is egalitarian democracy index in Belgium?
- Egalitarian democracy index in Belgium was 0.821 in 2025, according to V-Dem (2026) – processed by Our World in Data.
- What is the highest egalitarian democracy index recorded in Belgium?
- The highest recorded value was 0.841 in 2010.
- What is the lowest egalitarian democracy index recorded in Belgium?
- The lowest recorded value was 0.191 in 1915.
- How does Belgium rank for egalitarian democracy index?
- Belgium ranks 3rd out of 175 countries with data for 2025.
- Is egalitarian democracy index rising or falling in Belgium?
- Over the last ten years it is down 1.7%. The long-run trend across the full record is rising.
- Where does this Belgium data come from?
- The figures come from V-Dem (2026) – processed by Our World in Data, published as part of Egalitarian Democracy Index. Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
Download this data
CSV · JSON — 126 observations, free to reuse under CC BY 4.0 (Our World in Data).
About this data
Central estimate of the extent of suffrage, the freedom and fairness of elections, freedoms of association and expression, as well as the extent to which the protection of rights, access to power, and distribution of resources is equal.